🎙️ Interesting Humans Podcast

Episode: Jim Alford: Faith, WWII, and the Five Loves: A 97-Year-Old’s Incredible Story

Host: Jeff Hopeck
Date: December 10, 2025

Episode Overview

This moving and deeply insightful episode features 97-year-old Jim Alford as he reflects on a life spanning the Great Depression, WWII, the Korean War, a storied career in business, and a steadfast faith. Through stories filled with history, wisdom, and humor, Jim shares the “Five Loves” that have guided his life: God, family, nation, anthem, and flag. The conversation is rich with vivid memories of hardship and adventure, love and loss, and the values that have anchored generations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Early Life and Upbringing

• Growing Up Fast in the Depression
  • Jim recalls a life of scarcity and responsibility as the eldest child in a multi-generational household.
  • At age seven, he started milking the family cow and took on many chores to support the family.
  • Quote: “I never had a youth.” (00:37)
• Family Structure and Roles
  • Describes sharing space with parents, grandparents, and siblings. Emphasizes the expectation on oldest children to bear extra responsibilities.
  • Detailed, affectionate memories of farm life and family cattle ("Pet" and "Jane"). (01:34–02:04)

Enlisting at the Edge of War

• Military Beginnings

  • Joined the army at 17½, just as WWII ended.
  • Basic training at Fort Bliss, Texas; describes anti-aircraft training, being shipped to Okinawa. (02:19–03:03)

• Memorable Anecdote: Acquiring a .45 Automatic

  • Felt compelled (by advice from veteran sergeants) to “acquire” a .45 for combat.
  • Quote: “It’s the only thing I ever stole in my life... but I felt that was an order.” (03:03–04:54)

• Service Across Asia

  • Assigned to a general who loved bow-hunting, leading to extensive travel across the Far East Command: China, Macau, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, French Indochina (Vietnam), Burma, New Zealand.
  • Quote: “I’ve seen the Sleeping Buddha, I’ve seen practically everything you can imagine.” (06:10–06:46)

Postwar Japan and the MacArthur Decision

• The Emperor Hirohito Dilemma

  • Jim shares inside knowledge of Allied debates over whether to try Emperor Hirohito as a war criminal.
  • Stresses that executing Hirohito would have incited deadly rebellion against occupying troops.
  • Quote: “If we had hung Hirohito... the Japanese people would have risen up. We’d have all been killed.” (08:45–08:52)

• Meeting General MacArthur by Chance

  • A chance encounter: Jim is invited to ride with General MacArthur, who candidly discussed the decision not to prosecute Hirohito and dealing with Soviet officials.
  • Quote: “I don’t like Washington. I didn’t think it was right to do it. And I knew what might happen. So I made the decision.” (10:58–11:48)

Faith and Country: Jim’s Driving Values

• Becoming and Remaining a Christian

  • Jim credits his “born again” faith as a source of freedom from fear and regret, shaping his outlook through hardship and war.
  • Quote: “It’s the most wonderful feeling to be free of what I see going on now.” (18:04)

• On America as a Christian Nation

  • Expresses concern at the decline in values and Christian identity, highlighting the nation’s founding on Christian principles and the cost bought by prior generations.
  • Quote: “When we lose that, we lose our nation.” (19:55–20:04)

• The “Five Loves”

  • God
  • Family
  • Nation
  • Anthem
  • Flag
  • Quote: “If you honor all of those, you can call yourself an American.” (20:33)

Family History & Civil War Memories

• Genealogy and “The Book”
  • Jim wrote a family history book chronicling ancestors’ roles in the Civil War.
  • Shares emotional stories passed down—his great-grandfather’s trauma at Shiloh, family involvement in Mississippi’s history, colorful tales like witnessing the shootout at the O.K. Corral.
  • Quote: “Every time I sit down at this table, I think of Shiloh. I saw 10 men die in the size of that table within 10ft of me.” (23:14)

Love and Loss

• Wife and Family
  • Speaks lovingly of his late wife, their teamwork, faith, and raising children through hard times.
  • Her Alzheimer’s and passing is handled with deep tenderness.
  • Quote: “She was exceptional, very exceptional... I still long for her.” (33:50, 94:33)

Career: From Coca-Cola to General Electric to Entrepreneur

• Professional Origins

  • After Korea, tried art, then landed work at Coca-Cola, thanks to personal initiative and connections.

  • Later founded his own advertising agency, navigating lean times with community support and grit.

  • Breakthroughs:

    • Huge General Electric account—scaled his company overnight, created early 401k for staff, managed the flux of big business and uncertainty. (53:02–57:31)
    • Further success with Amaco Fabrics & Fibers.

  • Quote: “I had 11 accounts... I was making 5,000 more a year in just placement of advertising.” (46:29)

The Power of Personal Relationships

• Networking the Old-Fashioned Way

  • Jokes about knowing everyone from Coca-Cola’s Woodruff family, Atlanta’s business scene, the founder of the Varsity, to famous golfers and movie stars.
  • Emphasizes how face-to-face contact built both career opportunities and lifelong friendships.

• Golf and Life Lessons

  • Recounts meeting Bobby Jones, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and arranging tournaments; golf as means of furthering business and enriching life.
  • Quote: “I knew five members of Augusta National. I could go over there anytime I wanted to play, take my clients, and that solidified everything.” (64:33–65:53)

Family Legacy and the CCC

• Grandfather’s Story
  • A self-taught architect and goldsmith, exhausted early to help the family, ran the local CCC camp, teaching hundreds—vital work in the Depression.
  • Later, top-secret work on the Manhattan Project at Oak Ridge.
  • Quote: “There are men right now that wouldn’t be here... if it wasn’t for him teaching their fathers or their grandfathers...” (78:08)

Reflections on War, National Character, and the Modern World

• Witnessing War’s Horrors
  • Describes devastation of Okinawa, armaments, and his experience comparing Japanese and German forces.
  • Laments how America’s image and unity changed from WWII to the present.
  • Quote: “When we came back from that war, every country in this world liked us.” (90:32)
• Hope and Concern for the Future
  • Warns about modern threats, loss of values, and the need for strong leadership and unity.
  • Expresses faith-filled hope about reunion with loved ones and the ultimate triumph of forgiveness.
  • Quote: “When I walk through that gate... I know I’m going to feel God’s hand on my hand, holding my hand as I stand in judgment.” (17:39)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Regret and Duty:
  “I was a lucky man.” (13:21)
  “But all those things shaped a little something... a determination I wasn’t going to end up not finding something that I could do.” (14:41–14:54)

• On Country and Faith:
  “I was loyal to this country then, and I am loyal now. And I worry for this country more than you can imagine.” (16:06)
  “The freedom we have is the most honorable thing, wonderful thing, defendable thing that I know of.” (16:57)

• On Friendship:
  “I never met a man I didn’t like until he proved himself wrong.” (74:15)

• On Love’s Endurance:
  “My wife’s going to come up to me in her glorified body and she’s going to hold my hand... Erica, you’re going to have the same thing happen to you.” (94:00–94:30)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–02:04 Early life stories and “growing up fast”
• 02:19–07:20 Enlistment, military service, and world travels
• 08:07–12:22 Occupation of Japan, Hirohito, General MacArthur
• 13:21–14:41 Polio, American charity, and personal loss
• 15:44–20:04 Faith, the nation, concern for America’s future
• 20:04–21:50 Five Loves explained
• 22:09–33:50 Family book, Civil War, and stories of ancestors
• 34:18–40:41 Career beginnings, Coca-Cola, and starting anew
• 46:29–47:10 Starting and growing advertising agency
• 53:02–57:31 General Electric success story
• 64:33–65:53 The power of golf and personal connections
• 78:08–80:00 Grandfather’s CCC legacy and the Manhattan Project
• 86:00–90:32 WWII, Okinawa, the character of American soldiers
• 94:00–95:18 Closing remarks about hope, reunion, and family legacy

Closing Thoughts

Jim Alford’s life is a testament to humility, resilience, and devotion—to faith, family, and country. His memories offer not just a window into American and world history, but practical and heartfelt wisdom about living with purpose, dealing with loss, and holding tight to the values that matter most. Throughout, Jim’s humor, candor, and storytelling make this a treasure trove for listeners of all ages.